


Speed Date

by MyShipWillNeverSink



Series: Short and Sweet [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Dean, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Speed Dating, Valentine's Day, gay cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 12:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9727364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyShipWillNeverSink/pseuds/MyShipWillNeverSink
Summary: Castiel hates Valentine's Day, but his friend Hannah wants him to go to speed dating on campus with her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! I posted this on my [tumblr](http://destielisruiningmylife.tumblr.com) earlier but thought I'd post it here as well. :) Have a great day of love, whether it's with a partner or on your own!

It's not really a secret that Castiel hates Valentine’s Day. It's a ridiculous holiday created by consumerism to make money off of lovesick idiots. So that's why, when his best friend Hannah asks him to go to a speed dating event on campus on the holiday, he adamantly refuses. 

“Hannah, you can't be serious.”

“As the plague,” she deadpans. “Please? I don't want to go alone and you're the only single friend I have who I'd be comfortable taking me.” 

Castiel sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “You can't just go to a bar and mingle like a normal person, can you?” 

“Nope! C’mon, it'll at least be an interesting time.” He can't really argue that point. Even if it sucks, it’ll be more interesting than his original plans, which included beer, Netflix, and hanging out with his cat. 

“Fine. I'll go.”

~

The turnout is much higher than either of them were expecting. As they walk into the redecorated student center ballroom and find themselves staring at more than 50 people milling about, they glance at each other nervously. 

“I can't believe I'm doing this,” Castiel says, and heads to the registration table, Hannah following closely behind. On the table is a sign that reads: NO PREFERENCE SPEED DATING - GET MATCHED WITH ANYONE! Castiel turns and narrows his eyes at Hannah. “This was sneaky of you.” 

Shrugging, she comes up beside him and starts filling out the registration paper. It’s just a sheet to have people agree not to do anything inappropriate or discriminatory during the evening. There would be 10 rounds at 6 minutes each. At the end of the hour there will be casual mingling, with snacks provided. Of all the things Castiel has seen the student life committee put on, this is certainly well-planned and creative. 

He looks out at the sea of people and wonders how the hell this is going to work. Someone taps him on the shoulder to get his attention; it's one of the girls at the registration table. Her name tag says Becky. 

“Hi! Here’s your registration number - just remember it, you don't have to pin it anywhere.” She hands Castiel a slip of paper. “You're going to start at table 7 and work your way to table 16. The people across from you will be working their way the opposite direction, so you'll get someone new each time!” 

Castiel thanks her and walks towards his first table. All of them are small round tables, settled pretty closely together and with two chairs on either side. The table marked with a seven is vacant for the time being on the other side. However, beside Castiel at table 8, is a fidgety man with light brown hair and a flannel overshirt on. A leather jacket is draped over the back of his chair. He looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. Something they both have in common. 

“Hey,” Castiel says, giving a small wave to the man, “I'm Castiel. Were you dragged here against your will as well?” 

The man chuckles, turning to face him. “My brother. He just couldn't come to terms with me sitting at home alone when perfectly good torture sessions are going on right here on campus. I'm Dean, nice to meet you, Cas...Cast-eel?” 

Castiel laughs, shaking his hand. “Castiel. But you can call me Cas.” 

“Cool.” Dean smiles, and Cas feels an oh no moment coming on. The man is sinfully attractive. 

Just then, a woman sits down at the seat in front of him and a man with at least four days of scruff taps a microphone by the registration table. “Is this thing on? Oh, good. Hi, everyone! Welcome to speed dating, we’re going to get started here. Everyone has six minutes to talk to their partner and when the timer goes off, everyone will move to their left. After the third switch, we’ll have a five minute break.” The man leans away from the microphone to say something to Becky and then brings it back to his face. “Ready? Go!” 

It’s a flurry of activity after that. Everyone starts talking quickly and Cas decides to just give in. For the first three partners, he’s talking to women, all seemingly nice and interested in Cas until he drops the bomb that he’s actually gay and his friend asked him to come. The first two react well, just saying it’s fine and continuing pleasant conversation until time is up. It isn’t until the third woman, Meg, that he encounters an issue. 

“You’re gay?” she asks flatly. She blows a gum bubble and crosses her arms. “You don’t look gay.” 

Cas bounces his leg nervously. “Uh, sorry?” 

“You just seem, like, at least bisexual. You’re an attractive guy.” 

Now he’s a little pissed off. “I can assure you, I’m not interested.” He sees Dean out of the corner of his eye look over at him but he doesn’t acknowledge him. “And I would appreciate it if we didn’t talk anymore and simply waited out the rest of the time.” She raises her hands defensively, rolling her eyes, and sits back. 

It was an excruciating long 5 minutes or so and Cas almost decides to leave. He gets his phone out and tries to distract himself by going through his Facebook feed, but it doesn’t help much. When the timer goes off, he exhales in relief and Meg stands and walks away with a sour look on her face. 

Dean reaches over and touches his arm. “Hey, man, you okay?” 

He nods and gives Dean a tight smile. “Yeah. Just a little annoyed. It was bound to happen eventually.” Cas looks at his watch and sighs. “I really don’t know if I can do three more rounds of this. I hate it.” 

Chuckling, Dean nodded. “I feel you there, dude. I’ve thought about leaving, too.” 

Tilting his head, he indulges in a closer look at Dean. He’s been nothing but nice to him since he sat down, and if he’s being honest with himself, Cas would prefer his company over any of the other strangers. “Do you want to go on a walk around the student center while we wait for my friend and your brother to be done with this? If both of us leave, at least the two who won’t have partners will have each other to talk to.” 

“Absolutely.” 

Cas sends a quick text to Hannah, since he can’t see her, and Dean does the same for his brother. They head out and take a leisurely walk through the halls. 

“I still can't believe that girl said that to you.”

“Eh,” Cas says, shrugging, “it is what it is.”

“I wanted to tell her that even I, a bisexual, wasn't interested in someone who treats people like that.” 

Cas parts his lips in surprise and then grins. “I'm sure that would have pissed her off. An attractive man like you turning her down? Would have been priceless.”

He nudges his shoulder into Castiel’s. “You think I'm attractive?” 

Slowing to a stop, Cas laughs so hard he has to brace himself with his hands on his knees. “Have you looked in a mirror?” 

Dean rolls his eyes and pushes his arm playfully. “Shut up.”

They talk for a while, long enough that Hannah texts Cas to let him know she's going on a date with someone from the speed dating event. 

As he's replying, Dean lets out a surprised huff while looking down at his phone. Cas looks at him questioningly and Dean smiles. “Apparently Sam found a date.”

“So did Hannah.” 

They both look at each other, eyes narrowed. “You don't think…”

“It's possible.”

Dean shakes his head and puts his phone away. “Well… do you, um.”

Cas bites his lip and takes Dean’s hand in his. “Let’s go watch a movie or something.” Dean lights up and nods. 

They decide on driving to the local theater for a flashback cinema showing of Sleepless in Seattle. Dean argues that it's hardly a “flashback” but Cas argues that it doesn't really matter. 

“Why doesn't it matter?” 

Cas just looks at him and when the lights go down, he leans over and kisses Dean on the cheek. “I'm glad I met you,” he whispers. 

Dean grabs his hand and twines their fingers. “Me too, Cas.” He leans in and captures Cas’ lips with his own and Cas hopes he now understands why it doesn't matter what movie they're watching. 

They don't watch any of it.


End file.
